For the fourth week in row, the New York Sire Stakes will make a stop at Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Aug. 12, and this time, a full field of eight two-year-old pacing colts and geldings will go postward for a purse of $110,200 USD.
Trainer Travis Alexander has a three-pronged attack and all three bring a legitimate threat to the table.
Primacy Station (American Ideal-Preeminence) will most likely garner a lot of attention, as he has done some stellar work to this point. Primacy Station has three wins, a second and a third in his five starts and has earned the most ($135,372) of any of his competitors by far. In his lone NYSS victory, he broke the Monticello Raceway track record for his age and gait after posting a 1:53.4 mile. He has since come back to finish second at Saratoga Raceway by a mere nose to Maries Jet, who is not entered in this race on Wednesday. The 2-1 morning line favourite, Primacy Station has drawn post two and has Matt Kakaley back in the bike.
Another fleet freshman Alexander has entered is Bastonata Bluechip (American Courage-Ascending), who will line up right next to his stablemate at the inside. Bastonata Bluechip’s first win of the year was in his first start, in a NYSS event at Buffalo Raceway, where he posted an impressive 1:55.4 victory. In his three starts since, he has two thirds while chasing fast miles and overcoming post and interference issues. Bastonata Bluechip has Tyler Buter listed for the ride.
Last but not least is My Body Guard (American Ideal-Tatiana Seelster), who will be making his first NYSS start after doing some good work in Kentucky. My Body Guard was just purchased by Alexander and his group on July 31 after not having missed the board in the Bluegrass state, showing three wins, two seconds and two thirds from his seven starts in stakes action. And although his fastest mile (1:52.3) was set at The Red Mile, the gelding has also won over a five-eighths-mile track in 1:53.4 -- home in :26.3 -- and had no problem over the half at the Marion County Fair in Lebanon, Kentucky, where he won by 12--1/4 lengths. The gelding has a lot of gate speed and has been paired with the perfect driver to exploit that talent. My Body Guard has post seven with Leon Bailey at the helm for this start.
Post time for the first race at Batavia Downs on Wednesday is 5p.m. The New York Sire Stakes is carded as race five with an estimated post time of 6:20 p.m. There are also two $20,000 USD Excelsior Series races on the card, programmed as races one and six.
(With files from Batavia Downs)